Creamy Chicken Soup

Melt the butter in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, and carrots and cook until the onions and celery are soft, 7-10 minutes.
Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic, cooking for 1 minute while stirring. Sprinkle in the flour and continue cooking for 2 minutes while stirring.
Slowly pour in the chicken broth while stirring the soup. Add the green beans and potatoes and bring the soup to a gentle boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the green beans and potatoes are tender.
Reduce the heat to low and stir in the cooked chicken and half and half. Season with chopped fresh thyme, salt, and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Use any diced or shredded chicken for this recipe. I like to use an already-cooked rotisserie chicken that can be picked up from almost any warehouse or grocery store.
I like to use French-style (Haricots Verts) green beans with this recipe because they are more tender and flavorful, but you can use any fresh green beans. Just make sure you trim them and cut them into bite-size pieces.
Peel the carrots and let that bright orange color come through.
For best results, warm the half and half in the microwave, but do not boil. Use a reduced power to warm it to a little more than room temperature. Then, add it slowly to the soup over very low heat to prevent curdling.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stovetop over low heat or in the microwave.

Please continue to the next page (>) for the full list of ingredients and complete cooking instructions. Enjoy this meal!